‘Competitors in the surf-riding contest’: battle as theme in the first three surf novels
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Author(s)
Sandtner, Jake
Krauth, Nigel
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2021
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In surf fiction it is common for wave-riders to be tested. The test of self – battling against nature, against others, and against one’s own capabilities – is a popularthematic pathway for discovery, growth and freedom, as manifested regularly in surf-related fiction since its beginningsin 1849. This paper looks at the first three novelsthat featured surfing – Mardi and a Voyage Thither (Melville, 1849), The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean (Ballantyne, 1857), and Kelea: The Surf-Rider, A Romance of PaganHawaii (Twombly, 1900) – to examine why the authors wrote about surfing inconjunction with themes of battle and contestIn surf fiction it is common for wave-riders to be tested. The test of self – battling against nature, against others, and against one’s own capabilities – is a popularthematic pathway for discovery, growth and freedom, as manifested regularly in surf-related fiction since its beginningsin 1849. This paper looks at the first three novelsthat featured surfing – Mardi and a Voyage Thither (Melville, 1849), The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean (Ballantyne, 1857), and Kelea: The Surf-Rider, A Romance of PaganHawaii (Twombly, 1900) – to examine why the authors wrote about surfing inconjunction with themes of battle and contest
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Journal Title
TEXT
Issue
65
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2021. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. For information about this journal please refer to the journal’s website or contact the author(s).
Subject
Creative arts and writing
Creative and professional writing
Curriculum and pedagogy
Literary studies